Ch. # 7: Behavioral Views of Learning


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Chapter Outline

Key Terms

http://quizlet.com/35149582/eductional-psychology-chapter-7-terms-flash-cards/

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Key Theorists

1. Ivan Pavlov (Bio)
Name of theory: Classical conditioning
Description of theory: Classical conditioning is the combination of automatic responses typically associated with one stimulus with new stimuli.
Helpful Link: http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/classical-conditioning.html#lesson

2.B.F. Skinner (Bio)
Name of theory: Operant Conditioning
Description of theory: Operant conditioning is the theory in which voluntary behavior is either strengthened or weakened by consequences or antecedents.
Helpful Link: http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/reinforcement-and-punishment-lesson-examples-quiz.html#lesson

3.Albert Bandura (Bio)
Name of theory: Social learning theory
Description of theory: Theory that emphasizes learning through observation of others.
Helpful Link: http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/albert-bandura-social-cognitive-theory-and-vicarious-learning.html#lesson

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Summary of Chapter

Part One:
The chapter “Behavioral Views of Learning” focuses on different means of learning a topic. It introduces the subjects of reinforcement, presentation, and removal punishment. Also mentioned in this chapter are different psychological approaches to the topic. It mentions the principle of contiguity, which states that whenever two or more sensations occur together often enough, they will become associated together. That brings them to
the first psychological idea introduced in the chapter, classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is the unprovoked response a person gives to a stimulus. The example given in the text about this type of conditioning is the author’s salivation upon thinking of French fries.

Part Two:
The chapter continues by explaining other types of stimulus-response. Unconditioned stimuli require no prior conditioning to receive a certain response – this response being the unconditioned response. Likewise, a conditioned stimulus is something which brings about a certain response with conditioning.
One type of conditioning is operant conditioning. Operant conditioning follows the reaction from behavior to a reinforcer to a final repeated behavior. If a behavior is not desirable, the reaction will change to become a chain from behavior to punisher to weakened behavior. Operant conditioning uses five reinforcement schedules – continuous, fixed-interval, variable-interval, fixed-ratio, and variable-ratio (See Quizlet).
Positive Reinforcement: Behavior --> Reinforcer --> Strengthened or repeated behavior
Negative Reinforcement: Behavior--> Punisher --> Weakened or decrease behavior

Part Three:
When handling undesirable behavior, a teacher must ploy negative reinforcement; this allows the student to realize their error and become less likely to do the same behavior again. Reprimands, response cost, and social isolation are ways of incorporating negative reinforcement in a classroom.

In some classes, a problem is not caused by one person, but a group. In this case, a group punishment is enacted. Ways to solve group problems include the “good behavior game” in which students and teachers make a plan to make the classroom a better place. Another way is through a contingency contract, a contract explaining what a student must do to gain a reward.

Part Four:
The chapter concludes with a discussion of challenges and criticisms of behaviorism. Some of these criticisms critique the value of rewarding students for all of their work. They also note the ethical issues around the topic. Some approaches to changing behavior, including most of the ways suggested in the negative reinforcement section, are critiqued due to the emotional burden placed upon the students reprimanded.
In short, the chapter tells the reader that while no technique has been proven definitely, most techniques mentioned will have some impact in the behavior of their students.

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Key Concepts

Concept One: Classical Conditioning
Description of concept: focuses on the learning of involuntary emotional or physical responses such as fear, increased muscle tension, salvation, or sweating. (Discovery of classical condition by Ivan Pavlov)

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Concept Two: Operant Conditioning
Description of concept: Learning in which voluntary behavior is strengthened or weakened by consequences or antecedents. (Discovery of operant conditioning attributed to B. F. Skinner)

op_cond1.jpgexternal image op_cond1.jpg



Concept Three: Observational learning
Description of concept: Learning by observation and imitation of others--vicarious learning.

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Concept Four: Enactive Learning
Description of concept: Learning by doing and experiencing the consequences of your actions.
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Application for Teachers

Practical Applications:
Idea One:
Good behavior game- the class earning rewards based on the collective behavior of everyone in the class (usually by adding each student's points to a class or team total). (pg. 262)

Idea Two:
Contingency contract- the teacher draws up an individual contract with each student, describing exactly what the student must do to earn a particular privilege or reward.
  • The negotiating process can be an educational experience for the student, they learn to set reasonable goals and may be more committed to reaching them. (pg. 264)

Idea Three:
Token reinforcement system- allows students to earn tokens for academic work and positive classroom behavior. Periodically, the students exchange the tokens for a reward. (ex. special class jobs, time to listen to music, free homework pass etc.)

Idea Four:
For students with severe behavior problems:
  • Write rules on an index card and tape it to the student's desk
  • Rewards for the entire class if the student behaves

Idea Five:
An easy way to give positive reinforcement in behavior is by giving compliments, approval, encouragement, and affirmation; a ratio of five compliments for every one complaint is generally seen as being the most effective in altering behavior in a desired manner.

Licensure Exam (Connect and Extend to Praxis II):
Connection One:
Learning By Association
  • Understand how much of classroom learning can be attributed to contiguity--learning by association, in which a teach pairs certain stimuli together (i.e. names of the letters of the alphabet)?
  • Early Explanations of Learning section

Connection Two:
Teaching and Management
  • Identify major approaches to teaching and classroom management that are based on behavioral principles. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of each.
  • p. 262


Connection Three:
Encouraging/Discouraging Behaviors

  • Understand the appropriate uses of techniques to encourage or discourage various classroom behaviors. Know the limitations and problems associated with these types of interventions.
  • p. 258

Connection Four:
Applied Behavior Analysis

    • When teachers need to change inappropriate or ineffective classroom behaviors that have not changed in response to standard behavioral techniques (eg. response cost), they often employ applied behavior analysis. Familiarize yourself with the steps in developing and implementing an intervention based on that technique.
    • p. 256
Connection Five:
Antecedents
    • Understand how antecedents can affect learning. Be particularly familiar with the effective uses of prompting and cueing.
    • p. 254

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Applications for Content

Application One:
[insert connections to things like history, poli sci, English from an outside of teaching perspective]

Application Two:
[insert connections to things like history, poli sci, English from an outside of teaching perspective]

Application Three:
[insert connections to things like history, poli sci, English from an outside of teaching perspective]

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Multimedia Learning Material

Overview of items:
    1. Ivan Pavlov Classical Conditioning video
    2. B.F. Skinner Operant Conditioning video
    3. Albert Bandura Observational Learning video

Details of audiovisual material:
Classical Conditioning


Operant Conditioning


Observational Learning


Here is the link to the John Watson wiki. At the bottom of the page is a YouTube video, showing Pavlov's theory in a different way than above, and possibly easier to understand in our culture. http://poots14.wikispaces.com/John+Watson

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POOT Forums

    1. [insert topic]: [insert link]
    2. [insert topic]: [insert link]
    3. [insert topic]: [insert link]

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Test Your Knowledge

    1. "After a long spring time with many bee stings, several of the kindergartners at Teddy Bear Cave Kindergarten refused to go outside for activities on the playground. Once an exterminator found and removed the next, Miss Cochran announced the bees were gone. Later that day when Miss Cochran lined up the children to go to the playground, several of the students burst into tears and begged to not go. Which of the following would be an explanation for this event?" (p. 277)
      1. Operant conditioning
      2. Successive approximations
      3. Classical conditioning
      4. Response cost
    2. "Which of the following behavioral principles does NOT apply to all people?" (p. 277)
      1. No one eagerly repeats behaviors that have been punished or ignored. Without some sense of progress, it is difficult to persist.
      2. When actions lead to consequences that are positive for the person involved, those actions are likely to be repeated.
      3. To be effective, praise must be general in nature.
      4. Teachers often fail to use reinforcement to recognize appropriate behavior; they respond instead to inappropriate behaviors, sometimes providing reinforcing attention in the process.
    3. "Several of the students in Mr. Camp's class had difficulty behaving in line. He thought he had managed to get them under control with reinforcement. He had been giving them a token every time they lined up in an orderly fashion. While it initially worked like magic, now the students were falling back into their old patterns. What type of reinforcement schedule should Mr. Camp have used after his students had mastered lining up in an orderly fashion?" (p. 277)
      1. Shaping
      2. Intermittent
      3. Continuous
      4. Applied behavior analysis
    4. "Applied behavior analysis requires several steps for a behavior to be changed. Which of the following steps is not one of the required?" (p. 277)
      1. Clear specification of the behavior to be changed and careful measurement of the behavior
      2. Analysis of the antecedents and reinforcers that might be maintaining inappropriate or undesirable behavior
      3. Interventions based on behavioral principles to change the behavior
      4. Concrete reinforcement for good behavior

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Teacher Resources

Behavior Modification in the Classroom

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Top-Rated Student Generated Files

    1. [insert here]
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    3. [insert here]

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